Abstract: Effective 1 January 2010, the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (CBEES) incorporated new minimum standards with respect to exterior wall design and construction. The general consensus in Northern California and similar climates is to proceed with the inclusion of continuous insulation outboard of metal stud-framed walls with cement plaster finish. There are, however, additional considerations, including wall component tradeoffs and design and construction of the wall assembly, which should be addressed by the project team prior to finalizing the decision to proceed with continuous insulation. Included herein is information for the design of exterior cement plaster walls that conform to the CBEES, as well as considerations that need to be addressed for continually insulated exterior cement plaster walls.